Shyly Treelike

Please read, you'll like it.

 

            Kirsten Pederson had graduated from high school with Russell Ebert. During their fun filled youthful years at Mountain View High School there was Kirsten, Russell and a lot two other friends. The four wasn’t bad kids and they acted normal. They would dress in plain clothing, make political jokes and wrote poems in Spanish (which happened to be the first language of two of the teens). Since they never gave people problems no body ever watched them much, so once in a while they would do something mischievous. For example, at the end of their freshman year the six clogged the school toilets with notebook paper, but went back to being straight ‘C’ students the next day.

            The random trouble making was all Kirsten wanted with her life, but that wasn’t the same story for Russell While the other five studied and sweated over colleges, Russell would get in more trouble. Unlike Kirsten when Russell graduated his grandfather would give him a million dollars to start his life on, but Russell didn’t want to go to college, he just wanted to have fun. So while Kirsten was working her part time job trying to make ends meet after high school Russell was have the time of his life. Russell and two friends would go out every weekend always coming home with expensive stuff. Thanks to working and going to college Kirsten ended up falling away from the three, and that was a good thing.

            Within two years after high school Russell had spent a half a million dollars paying for trips, name brand clothes, women and booze. After the first half was gone Russell started to worry, but his friends didn’t, they just wanted a good time after all. Then suddenly Russell lost the other half.

            Even as a teen Russell enjoyed a glass of wine every once in a while, but that was when his parents could see his in take. A month before graduating he moved out and his drinking increased. Once he was drunk you could get him do all most anything. So one night, after a bottle of vodka, those friend talked him into gambling and he ended up gambling his entire fortune away . The next day he had no money at all. After living on his grandfather money for three years he had to move into his parent’s house. Nevertheless his parents wouldn’t take him back, they sent him to rehab instead.

            So where this story starts Kirsten is working as a nurse intern to help pay for college and Russell is living in a half way home and he has came to the hospital sick.  

            Russell laid on his bed with an IV running from his arm onto the pole. He had only had a touch of the flu, but because he never drank fluids, he ended up dehydrated and stuck for the night. It was Kirsten’s job to take care of him.

            Kirsten has never been one for joy filled reunions, so the only time she would go into Russell’s room was when he was asleep. She would watch him dream, but she watched him not from lust, but from longing memories. It was hard for her to believe that the frail young man in front of her was her best friend in high school.

            “Kirsten.” I small, weak voice whispered.

            “Oh Mr. Ebert you’re awake!” Kirsten said louder then she should have had. Talking loudly to a patient was a habit in which she wasn’t sure she had been taught to do in school or had learned it on the job.

“Don’t you remember me?” Russell said almost sorrowfully. “C’mon Kirsten ‘But Mrs. Reece that was art! How can you destroy my art!’”

Kirsten laughed nervously, but Russell gave into sturdy laughter. 

“What happened to you Kirsten? You used to laugh at that all the time.”

“That happened five years ago, things tend to become less funny as time goes by.”

“But, what about the fun the four of us had in high school?”

“It was good Russell, but…”

Russell suddenly went on. “Don’t you remember how you had a liking for the bad boys and I would always try to look for a good guy for you to date.”

“Ya.” Kirsten sighed. “Too many times my heart was broken by them, so now I’m engaged to a good boy, he’s going to school to become a professor.”

“Oh a smart guy.” Russell grinned joyfully. “He might actually be able to pay the bills.”

“Well what about you?”

“Me? I’m living life to the fullest.”

“What do you mean by that?” If you wouldn’t have ‘lived life to the fullest’ before, you wouldn’t be in your current mess. Kirsten thought.

“Well after rehab I realize that I need to be more careful with my self, but too careful that life passes me by.”

“Learned that in rehab did you?”

“No, I learned that by living. Kirsten I was enjoying life with out limits, but I didn’t realize that I would soon hit the wall. Drinking is… stress relieving, I’ll admit that, but it helped ruin my life. I’ve been sober for almost six months, you know, and its like the devil. I want to drink so bad sometime, even more now, but…”

“Why?” Kirsten interrupted.

“My grandfather is dying.” Russell said somberly. “He on the second floor, eleventh room, dying.”

“I’m sorry…”

“There’s nothing you can do about,” He said bitterly “There’s nothing anyone can do.”

Kirsten didn’t know how to respond, all her grandparents died before she was born.

Russell started wiping away tears. “So now, when I get the other half of my inheritance, I’ll live my life the way I should have three years ago. I’m going to take online classes to become an engineer.”

 “That’s good Russell. Your grandfather would be happy.”

Russell tried to stop crying, and he did for a minute. “I’ve always looked up to him. He is, was, my hero, and not even because he gave me money. I looked up to him because he treated every women like he would his mother, and he treated every man like he would his brother and every child like his own. That man would give the shirt off his back to the most undeceiving of scum. My grandfather loved everyone and was a God fearing man. I want to be just like him. I want to make him happy… and proud.”

“I’m sure he is. I mean you’ve been sober for six months!”

“Yes, but still he saw his only grandchild drink and go to rehab. There’s nothing prideful about that.”

“Talk to him. Tell him that you love him and are sorry.”

“Easier said then done,” Russell started crying again “He’s in a coma.”

Kirsten gently laid her hand on Russell’s shoulder. “If you need anything…” She started but then she remembered that Russell could abuse privileges sometimes.

“I can ask?” Russell whispered.

“Well...”

“I need a place to stay.” Russell said acting as if he didn’t hear Kirsten.

“You have a place. Right now you’ll stay the night here and then once you’re done here you’ll go back to your half- way home.”

“That’s the thing, I got in a fight.”

“Russell…” Kirsten sighed.

“I didn’t do anything bad. This guy was hitting on a girl and was saying crude things to her and he wouldn’t stop so I socked him one.” Russell said making a fist. Now I have no home. My parents won’t take me back, my grandfather’s dying.”

Kirsten sighed, “One night, only.”

Russell smiled. “I knew I could always trust you.”

Kirsten smiled weakly and then checked over his chart before leaving the room. The next day Russell’s grandfather died, but she never went near Russell’s room, she didn’t want to see him cry again.

The day after the grandfather’s death Kirsten stopped by to take him to her home. A volunteer wheeled him in her car and Kirsten did the rest.

Russell felt like dead weight in her arms. He only weight 130 pounds, but grief seemed to have added 50 pounds to his chest.

Driving home he didn’t speak, just watched out of the window. At dinner Kirsten was protective of him. When she sat dinner in front of him he never turned to thank her or to eat. He just kept his fist in his lap and watching out the window as if he was waiting for someone.

When they were watching Lifetime Russell drifted into sleep. Once again Kirsten watched him sleep, not sure what to do. She gingerly placed a blanket over him. Russell’s problems were multiplying. As if withdraw wasn’t enough, being homeless, and being sick wasn’t enough he’s grandfather was dead. The  only upside was that he was a million dollars richer then before. 

During the night Russell woke up and warmed up food. He moved around in the kitchen loudly hitting pots and slamming cabinet doors. 

Kirsten found him at the table eating and watching cartoons. She didn’t want to make her presence known, but he saw her in the corner of his eye.

“I’m gonna die.” He whispered.

“Wha… What do you mean by that?”

“I dreamed that I was killed. I’m gonna die.”

“You found that out from a dream?”

“Sounds silly, I know, but dreams are keys to the future. You’ll know anything that you need to if you listen to dreams.”

“I’m sorry Russell.”

 “I’ll be killed if I stay here.” He snapped.

“You’ll be fine.” Kirsten reassured.

 “Nothing’s for sure.” Russell stood up. “Thanks, for everything.”

“Where you going?”

“House shopping.” He said simply.

“At 11 o’clock at night?”

“The early bird gets the worm. I have the money, you know.”

“Oh I know. But wait a few hours, please.”

Russell went on acting as if he never heard her. “You’re really kind you know.” Slowly he put his jacket on.

“Your not going out to get a drink are you?”

“I wish, but as I said I need to make my grandfather proud.”

“That’s it, your gonna grieve for a few days and get up and leave?”

“Who said that I’m finished grieving? Now that’s silly.”

“Russell stay for a few hours.”

“Will you drive me to my half way house?” He finally asked.

“Sure.” She sighed.

When they got to the house he got out of the car. “Take care of your self, and your future husband.” Then he kissed her on the forehead.

“Bye.”

Kirsten went home where she went back to sleep. That night some kids were messing around when they started to smoke marijuana.

The two teens walked around the neighborhood around until some police showed up. One of those kids was a run away. They knew they would get in trouble so they threw the joints into a shrub.

That shrub caught on fire and then the fire grew until it caught the home behind it on fire. One person died in the fire and that was Kirsten.  

Author's Note

At some point in the story I spelled Kirsten's name as Kristen. Sorry.